Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to the field of electronic mail (e-mail) delivery and retrieval, and in particular to the retrieval and delivery of electronic mail as well as other electronic data from an aircraft.
The present invention allows aircraft passengers to send and receive electronic messages such as electronic mail (or xe2x80x9ce-mailxe2x80x9d) while in flight. There are unique challenges encountered when attempting to deliver and receive electronic messages during flight, and the present invention overcomes the inherent obstacles using specially developed protocols and software. The system provides a robust and transparent delivery service for e-mail, overcoming the unique data transfer challenges of the airborne environment.
The system consists of several integrated components that provide a system for the transfer and exchange of electronic mail designed specifically to overcome the difficulties with air-to-ground mail transfer. The system includes an airborne server aboard the aircraft loaded with customized mail server software and a ground server loaded with customized mail server software. The ground server is connected to the internet via internet servers. Communication between the two servers is achieved by an air-to-ground data link and the link is controlled by software on the servers to initiate and terminate the connection. The airborne server is connected via a Ian on the aircraft to multiple personal computers used by passengers to retrieve e-mail messages, and the personal computers preferably include a customized software to control and view message delivery, obtain status information, and control costs and resources of the mail transfer. The airborne server is the component that interacts directly with the passenger""s e-mail client software, where the e-mail client software instructs the airborne server to retrieve e-mail messages from the passenger""s selected mail server on the internet. E-mail sent by passengers are relayed to internet mail servers through the airborne server across the air-to-ground link.
The present invention recognizes the costs of the air-to-ground data link as well as the tenuous nature of the link, and employs specifically created software to control the use of the link in order to maximize its performance. For example, the transfer of data attachments to e-mail messages can unnecessarily prolong the connection of the data link to the detriment of the passenger, who is charged for the length of time that the connection is maintained. The present invention provides for several options previously unavailable to e-mail clients aboard an aircraft through the use of customized software options. For example, the transfer of data attachment files may be refused by the passenger via a pre-selected criteria. The present invention allows passengers to initiate contact between the airborne server and the ground server to retrieve or send e-mail messages, and to get information regarding data transfer and costs.
The invention includes the feature whereby passenger information and server settings are sent to a central location for storage. The stored information can be loaded on a replacement server should the original server fail or need to be replaced. By sending the updated settings to the central location, a new server can be reconfigured by pre-loading the information from the old server""s settings or the server can access the central location""s storage and retrieve the necessary information automatically.